Ultrasound Technology in Weragu in Ethiopia

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Sr. Kavita with mother and new born. Every year, around 700 pregnant women come to our clinic for a check-up. Most of them deliver their baby in their homes and the difficult cases come to the clinic. These difficult deliveries are always a nightmare for us in Weragu, Ethiopia. The joyful event of giving birth can suddenly turn into an unforeseen crisis.

At this critical moment we used to think if we had known early we could have shifted the patient early and saved the mother and the newborn. There were times when patients died after reaching the gate of the hospital. We could not save them as they had been travelling for hours along the rough road. It always caused pain in our hearts.

At this juncture a well-known professor, Dr. Corrado Tarrela visited Weragu. He felt that the diagnostic measures are very important to alleviate suffering, and to promote and preserve life. So as soon as he went back to Italy he along with his friends sent the scanning machine, generator and other necessary equipment for the functioning of the ultrasonography machine. And I was given a chance to learn ultra-sonography since no doctor was able to come down to Weragu due to the political unrest. I was invited to study the Ultrasonography in the Hospital of Maurysiyano and the Hospital of Cottolingo at Turin. All the expenses for this training and airfare were sponsored by the association of cancer patients.

Thus I came to Turin, Italy on 11 May 2017. I felt that Divine Providence brought me to a house called little house of Divine Providence. Though three months of study is very little to master the ultrasonography techniques, I can say that to an extent I am able make out the position of the placenta, presentation of the foetus in the womb, malformation, etc. Besides this I also had a chance to observe and learn general ultrasonography. I am really grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to come to Italy for the betterment of the mission